Carlisle

Carlisle is the head and “father figure” of the family. He is about 350 years old, and originally from London. He is respected amongst the vampire world.
Back story: He is the son of a pastor, who was trained by his father to hunt supernatural creatures including vampires. One night he was bitten and left to die. Ashamed, he transformed secretly so that his father would not have to know. From the moment he turned he vowed that he would not succumb to the killing of humans. He’s only bitten his family member while they were humans to save their lives.

Esme

Esme is the matriarch of the family. She is married to Carlisle. She is passionate and loving.
Back story: After a failed suicide following the death of her child Carlisle found Esme and could not resist saving her. Once he turned her they fell in love and got married.
Special ability: Has an enormous passion for love.

Edward

Edward appears to be 17, but he’s really 108 years old.
Back story: He lost his family during the Influenza epidemic in 1918, but was saved by Carlisle after his mother brought him to the hospital. He becomes incredibly attracted to Bella Swan because her mind is the only one he cannot read. He also finds her blood so tempting it becomes impossible to resist.
Special ability: He can read minds, which is a great power when fighting adversaries.

Rosalie

Rosalie is one of the most beautiful vampires. She is married to Emmett and is the only Cullen who dislikes Bella. She envies Bella for being human. Although she is fierce and protective of the Cullen coven, she would rather be human.
Back story: Rosalie was born into a wealthy family. She was engaged to a wealthy young man whom she thought loved her. One night when she was walking home her rich fiancé and his friends raped her and left her for dead. Carlisle found her on the road and turned her into a vampire. She never chose to become a vampire, and has an undead chip on her shoulder as a result. Three days after her transformation, she hunted down her rapists and killed them all, not even to drink their blood, the only humans she’s killed since.

Emmett

Emmett is the biggest of the bunch, and the most intimidating. He is married to Rosalie.
Back story: Emmett was hunting in the woods of Tennessee in 1935 when he was badly mauled by a bear. While hunting animals for food, Rosalie found Emmett carried him over 100 miles to Carlisle so that he could transform Emmett. Because Emmett is the newest vamp of the group, he has considerable difficulty controlling his temptations for human blood.

Alice

Alice is the most petite of the family. She is playful and caring, loves to shop and throw parties much to Bella’s dismay. Aside from Edward, Alice has the closest relationship to Bella. Alice uses her ability to see the future and help Bella when she is in danger. The two soon come to love each other like sisters.
Back story: Alice vaguely remembers being human. Her earliest memory is waking up as a vampire. Alice later finds out she was born around 1901 in Biloxi, Mississippi and was committed into an asylum because she had premonitions. Alice was changed by a vampire who worked at the asylum in order to protect her from James, a tracker vampire who was hunting her.
Special ability: Alice can see the future, an enhanced version of her ability to have premonitions as a human. She is only able to see the outcome of a decision once it is made. Due to this, decisions made in the spur of the moment cannot be foreseen.

Jasper

Jasper is older than most of the Cullen members having fought in the US Civil War at the age of 16. He is Alice’s partner and has great fighting skills and strength.
Back story: He was recruited by a vampire called Maria in 1863 to help her train young vampires into a private army to gain territory. As a result of his past and constant fighting, he finds it hard to resist the urge for human blood. Alice met Jasper in a diner in Philadelphia and together they sought out the Cullen family.
Special ability: As a human, he was extremely charismatic and this later enhanced his ability to control the emotions of those around him when he became a vampire.